James Marsters (Spike)

Seth Green (Oz)

Emma Caulfield (Anya)

Michelle Trachtenberg (Dawn Summers)

Eliza Dushku (Faith)

Amber Benson (Tara Maclay)

Danny Strong (Jonathan Levinson)

Marc Blucas (Riley Finn)

Julie Benz (Darla)

Joss Whedon (Series Creator)

Check out ‘Buffy’ descendant ‘The Vampire Diaries’

“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” celebrated its 20th anniversary on March 10, 2017. The show was an instant hit for the WB and made stars of its young cast.

The WB merged with UPN in 2007, creating the CW network, four years after “Buffy” hung up her stakes. But it’s probably no coincidence that “Buffy’s” undead descendant, the CW’s “The Vampire Diaries,” ended its eight-season run on “Buffy’s” anniversary as both shows have proven to be huge successes. Click through our gallery above to learn what your favorite stars have been up to since “Buffy” ended.

Pictured above on the left is the cast in 2003, and on the right Sarah Michelle Gellar, Seth Green and Michelle Trachtenberg at the Paley Center reunion for the cast in 2008.

Then: Gellar was already a Daytime Emmy winner for Best Younger Actress for “All My Children” (1995) before she became a household name. After leaving daytime soaps behind she won the title role of Buffy, who fights demons but falls in love with the vampire Angel. Gellar, like many other WB stars at the time, transitioned into a successful movie career, appearing in “Scream 2” (1997), “I Know What You Did Last Summer” (1997), the cult classic “Cruel Intentions” (1999) and “The Grudge” (2004).

Now: Gellar returned to television in the CW’s “Ringer” (2011-2012), and then starred in CBS’s “The Crazy Ones” (2013-2014) opposite Robin Williams. But Gellar has yet to repeat the massive success of “Buffy.”

Then: Hannigan played Willow, who started the series as a wallflower but would emerge to become a very powerful witch who would fall in love with fellow witch Tara. Willow famously restored Angel’s soul and brought Buffy back to life. Hannigan, Nicholas Brendon and Sarah Michelle Gellar were the only three actors who were series regulars from the very beginning of the show to the very end.

Now: Hannigan enjoyed another long series run as Lily Aldrin on “How I Met Your Mother” from 2005 to 2014.

Then: Brendon played Xander Harris, Buffy’s best friend and the only member of the Scooby Gang not to possess any supernatural powers. Brendon, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Alyson Hannigan were the only three actors who were series regulars from the very beginning of the series to the very end. Brendon actually received the role after Ryan Reynolds turned it down.

Now: Since “Buffy” ended Brendon has played Lee McHenry on “Private Practice” (2010-2011) and Kevin Lynch on “Criminal Minds” (2007-2014).

Then: Boreanz played Angel, a heroic vampire turned Big Bad turned heroic vampire again who in a shocking twist ended up in love with Buffy. He continued this role on the spin-off “Angel” (1999-2004).

Now: After leaving the world of the mythical undead, Boreanz investigated murders as FBI Agent Booth on “Bones” for 12 seasons (2005-2017).

Then: Carpenter played Cordelia Chase, who started as a vain cheerleader before having visions on the spinoff “Angel” as an agent of the Powers That Be. Cordelia eventually had a relationship with Angel, but abruptly died in a coma after helping Angel one last time.

Then: Head played Rupert Giles, who was a father figure and trained Buffy in the art of vampire slaying as her Watcher.

Now: Head has kept busy on both sides of the pond appearing on “Little Britain,” “Doctor Who,” “Merlin,” “Guilt,” “Dominion” and “The Iron Lady.”

Then: Marsters played Spike, who was hoping to make Buffy the third slayer he’d killed in his long lifetime. But instead he would later have a tumultuous up-and-down romantic relationship with the Slayer.

Now: Since hanging up his fangs Marsters has had roles on “Without a Trace,” “Smallville,” and “Hawaii Five-0.”

Then: Green followed up his breakthrough role in “Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery” (1997) with the role of Oz, a werewolf and a member of the Scooby Gang after failing his senior year and repeating the 12th grade with Buffy and company. Green only appeared in 40 episodes, deciding to leave the show to pursue his movie career.

Now: Green has definitely kept busy since ending his “Buffy” days. He finished his role in the “Austin Powers” films and followed that with roles on “MADtv” and “That ’70s Show,” plus a guest spot on “Grey’s Anatomy” and playing himself on “Entourage.” But he’s found most of his success behind the mic voicing characters for “American Dad,” “Robot Chicken,” “Family Guy” and the motion picture “The Lego Batman Movie.” Green has been nominated for a whopping 17 Emmys, winning two for Best Short-Format Animated Program for “Robot Chicken” (2010 and 2016).

Then: Caulfield played Anya, a thousand-year-old demon with the ability to grant wishes to scorned women. Anya died in the final battle with the First Evil in the series finale of “Buffy.” But she appeard sporadically afterwards in the subsequent comic book series to haunt her fomer lover Xander.

Now: Caulfield most notably played the Blind Witch on “Once Upon a Time” (2012-2016). Most recetly she’s had guest roles on “Supergirl” and “Training Day.”

Then: Trachtenberg played Dawn Summers, who was Buffy’s little sister and also the Key who could shatter the space-time dimensions.

Now: Trachtenberg has starred in the films “Eurotrip” (2004), “Ice Princess” (2005), and “17 Again” (2009). But she also found success again on TV playing Georgina Sparks on the CW’s “Gossip Girl” (2008-2012).

Then: Dushku played rogue vampire slayer Faith on both “Buffy” and “Angel” and was temporarily the leader of the Scoobies. She parlayed her work on the hit show into a role in the cult classic cheerleading film “Bring it On” (2000).

Now: Dushku has had several series since leaving “Buffy,” most notably “Tru Calling” (2003-2005), “Dollhouse” (2009-2010), “Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H.” (2013-2015) and “Banshee” (2016).

Then: Benson played Tara Maclay, a witch and a member of the Scooby Gang. Tara had a love affair with fellow witch Willow. She died suddenly when she took a stray bullet that was meant for Buffy.

Now: Benson found success after “Buffy” on the CW’s “Supernatural” playing Lenore (2006-2011). She’s also a published author, screenwriter and director.

Then: Strong portrayed Jonathan Levinson, a high school outcast who dabbled in magic and flirted with villainy. He only appeared in 30 episodes of the series, most famously in “Superstar” in which he cast a spell convincing the world he was a great hero.

Now: Strong is definitely in the running for most successful “Buffy” alum. Strong stayed on the WB playing Doyle on “Gilmore Girls” and reprised that role in “A Year in the Life” on Netflix. But he also found success behind the camera, winning two Emmys for Best Movie/Miniseries and Best Movie/Mini Writing for the HBO political telefilm “Game Change” (2012). Strong is also one of the creators and writers of FOX’s “Empire.”

Then: Blucas played Riley Finn, an agent of the government demon-hunting organization the Initiative and temporarily a member of the Scooby Gang. Riley was an early love interest of Buffy’s but that ended in season five when he felt undervalued by her.

Now: After “Buffy” Blucas has had guest roles on everything from “House” to “Castle” to “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.” Most recently he played John Hawkes on WGN America’s historical drama series “Underground.”

Then: Benz played Darla, the sire and former lover of Angel. She famously tried and failed to get Angel to kill Buffy but ended up staked herself. Benz reappeared on the spin-off “Angel,” giving birth to their son Connor before staking herself.

Now: Benz would go on to star on “Dexter” as Rita, who was famously murdered by the Trinity Killer (John Lithgow) and left to die in a bathtub. Since then she’s had roles on the short-lived series “Defiance” (2013-2015), “Hawaii Five-O” (2015-2016) and “Training Day.”

Then: Wheedon wrote the original 1992 film of the same name, but was notoriously unhappy with its campy nature. He created the show in 1997 as he originally envisioned. Whedon scored an unexpected but much praised Emmy nomination for Best Drama Writing for the episode “Hush” in 2000. And he also wrote and directed one of the most popular episdoes in the show’s history, the musical “Once More, with Feeling.”

Now: Since the end of “Buffy” Whedon has not slowed down. He wrote and directed Neil Patrick Harris’s “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog” (2008), for which he won his elusive Emmy. He used his considerable musical directing talents on “Glee” in the episode “Dream On.” But his biggest success came on the big screen, writing and directing the blockbuster “Avengers” films (2012 & 2015).